The invention relates to an apparatus according to the preamble of Patent claim 1.
Such apparatuses, as are known, for example, from Swiss Patent CH 382768, are used in order for printed products which are supplied in imbricated formation, for example, by means of a conveying belt to be individually received and transported to further processing stations.
When the printed products are received and discharged by individual grippers, it has to be ensured that the grippers are opened widely enough.
The disadvantage of the apparatus known from CH 382768 is the fact that, on account of the legs of successive grippers being supported against one another, it is only possible to achieve a restricted gripper opening in the region of the receiving or discharging path.
An object of the invention is to develop an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction such that it is possible to increase the opening of the grippers in the region of the receiving and/or discharging path.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the receiving and/or discharging path is curved convexly.
In the region of the receiving and/or discharging path, the gripper opening thus extends in the outward direction, in particular in the radially outward direction, on the side which is located opposite the respective curvature center point, with the result that the arcuate distance located between two open legs of a gripper is greater than the arcuate distance between the centers of two grippers which can be conveyed along the receiving path. This relative sizing is brought about in that the arcuate distance located between the centers of successive grippers is closer to the respective curvature center point than the arcuate distance enclosed by two open legs of a gripper.
The invention thus achieves the situation where, in the region of the receiving and/or discharging path, the grippers can fan out or open further than, for example, in the case of-a rectilinear or concave path.
This advantageously means, for example in the case of grippers which follow closely one after the other, and in particular are in contact with one another, that there is no increase in the distance between the grippers when the latter are opened and/or there is no need to accelerate the grippers since the opening movement of the grippers is obstructed to a lesser extent by adjacent grippers on account of the convex curvature.
The grippers are preferably coupled to transporting means which can be conveyed along the receiving and/or discharging path, it being possible for this coupling to be of both rigid and pivotable design. In the case of grippers which are coupled pivotably to transporting means, the apparatus according to the invention advantageously brings about the situation where on account of the gripper legs being in contact with one another, in the region of the receiving and/or discharging section, the grippers are aligned radially in relation to the respective curvature center point and are thus fixed in a predetermined position, despite the pivotable coupling, during the receiving and/or discharging process. This predetermined alignment of the grippers during the receiving and/or discharging process additionally ensures that precisely positioned movement of the products is possible. In the case of grippers which are coupled pivotably to transporting means, it is preferred if the pivot angle of said grippers is restricted, for example by mechanical stops, in order thus to ensure that force is transmitted satisfactorily to the grippers during the opening movement.
In the region of the receiving and/or discharging path, the transporting means assigned to the grippers are arranged as closely as possible to one another, in order thus to achieve a situation where the individual grippers follow as closely as possible one after the other in this region. In the extreme case, it is possible for successive transporting means to be in contact with one another.
The dimensions of the transporting means in the conveying direction are preferably smaller than the distance between the two legs of an open gripper, with the result that the number of grippers in each path section in the region of the receiving and/or discharging path is restricted essentially by the size of the gripper opening rather than by the size of the transporting means.
The convex receiving and/or discharging path may be designed to be curved in the form of an arc of a circle or in some other way. If the receiving and/or discharging path is designed in the form of an arc of a circle, it is advantageous if, in the region of the receiving and/or discharging path, the grippers are guided by a carry-along wheel, the center point of this carry-along wheel then defining the center point of the curvature of the receiving and/or discharging path according to the invention.
It is advantageous if a gripper-opening device is provided upstream of the receiving path, as seen in the conveying direction, in particular in the region of the carry-along wheel, it being possible for said gripper-opening device to be designed, for example, as an opening guide curved in an arcuate manner.
It is also advantageous if the gripper-closing device, which is necessary for receiving the products, is arranged in the region of the receiving path or directly downstream of the receiving path, as seen in the conveying direction, or at a small distance therefrom. The gripper-closing device may be designed, for example, as a freely rotatable or driven closing wheel which, when the grippers run past the closing wheel, acts on the closing means provided on the grippers so as to initiate a closing movement of the grippers.
Finally, it is preferred if the release device, for releasing products retained by means of the grippers, is arranged in the region of a carry-along wheel and is designed, in particular, as a gripper-opening device. In this case, the gripper-opening device may be designed as an opening guide curved, in particular, in an arcuate manner.
Further preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.